Glassware sizing machine and method



Oct. 5, 1965 J. w. ELDRED 3,210,172

GLASSWARE SIZING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed July 26, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR. JOHN W E L DRE 0 BY-MAHONEY, M/LLER & RA M50 gy-zym M A TTORNEYS.

Oct. 5, 1965 J. w. ELDRED GLASSWARE SIZING MACHINE AND METHOD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JOHN W. ELDRED BY-MAHONEY, MILLER Filed July 26, 1960 & RAMBO gy-fl, /%JZ ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,210,172 GLASSWARE SIZING MACHINE AND METHOD John W. Eldred, 723 Grandon Ave., Columbus, Ohio Filed July 26, 1960, Ser. No. 45,349 3 Claims. (Cl. 65-110) My invention relates to a glassware sizing machine and method. It has to do, more particularly, with a machine which will act on the open mouth of a formed article of glassware that is at a deformable temperature to impart a predetermined size and outline to the mouth of the article. In its specific application, the machine, according to my invention, takes an article from a burn-off or glazing machine where the mouth of the glass article has been heated to a deforming temperature and resizes the mouth to its previously as-formed accurate size and outline.

According to this invention, the open mouth of the deformable article is positioned on a resizing and reforming member which includes a form member that has a reshaping and resizing surface engaged by the edge of the mouth of the article which it is adapted to receive and retain. In addition, means is provided for positively moving the article over the forming member so that its edge is positively moved over the forming surface to restore its original size and outline and to hold it on the forming member until the glass again sets in its resized and reformed condition.

The accurate sizing of glass articles is particularly important in connection with glass tumblers which are to be used as containers. These tumblers have a mouth adapted to receive a cap or closure of the friction type and must be accurately sized to receive and retain the cap in a leakproof condition. The present invention provides a method and means of restoring the size and exact circular outline on the mouth after the tumbler has been subjected to a deforming temperature in a burn-ofl or glazing operation.

The present invention may be embodied in various machines but it is preferred that it be embodied in a transfer machine of the type disclosed in my US. Patent No. 2,415,997 issued February 18, 1947. This machine will transfer the article from a treating-machine, such as a burn-off machine or glazer, to a discharge conveyor and during the transfer will invert the article from a depending position, with its mouth lowermost as received from the treating machine,- to an upstanding position in which position it will be discharged. During the transfer op eration, the open-mouth of each successive article will be positioned on a forming member on each article-handling unit carried by the transfer machine. Also, during the transfer, a vacuum force will be applied to the article causing its mouth to be pulled over the forming surface of the forming member so as to be accurately'reformed-and resized.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a machine in which my invention is embodied and in thesedrawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of an article handlingor transfer machine having the resizing and reforming means of this invention associated'therewith.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken through one of the article handling units of the machine of FIGURE 1 which is equipped with a resizing and reshaping form member.

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an enlargement of the forming and resizing groove arrangement for receiving the edge of the glass article.

With'reference to the drawings, I have illustrated a glass-transferring machine 1 as being of the same general structure disclosed in said Patent No. 2,415,997. Only the parts of this machine necesary for an understanding of this invention will be referred to herein as all the other details of the machine are fully disclosed in said pat: cut. This machine 1 is shown associated with a burn-oif machine 2 which may include a chuck 3 that deposits the article 8 with its mouth downward on the associated article-handling unit 15 of the machine 1. The articlehandling unit 15 is adapted to receive and hold the article at this point and to transfer the article to the other side of the machine through an arc of approximately where it is deposited on a conveyor unit 9. Also, as shown in FIGURE 1, during rotation of the machine 1, the article 8 is inverted before being deposited on the conveyor unit 9.

In general, the machine consists of a base and supporting standard 13, a rotatable turret 14 supported on the standard 13, a plurality of radially extending, circumferentially spaced, article handling units 15 carried by the turret, a control cam unit 16 mounted in fixed position above the rotatable turret 14 for controlling certain operations of the article-handling units 15, and a cam track 89 which controls inversion of the article-handling units 15. Any suitable number of the units 15 may be provided.

One of the article-handling units 15 is illustrated in FIGURE 2. As shown and described in said patent, these units are carried by the turret 14 in such a manner that swinging movement horizontally and limited radial movement is permitted during rotation of the turretbut the details of the mechanism for accomplishing these movements are not important in this present application.

The turret 14 supports angularly spaced horizontally disposed radially directed sleeves 47, each of which is part of the article handling unit 15. Each sleeve 47 is provided with an upstanding cylindrical extension 48 on its upper side, as shown in FIGURE 2. The sleeve 47 has mounted therein for rotating and axial movement, a cylinder 49. The cylinder 49 tightly fits within the outer end of the sleeve 47 and is provided with an inwardly extending integral shaft portion 50 which is rotatable and slidable Within a bearing structure 51 provided at the inner end of the sleeve 47. The cylinder 49 is closed at its inner end by a cap member 52. The shaft 50 extends into this member 52 through a fluid seal 53. The shaft 50 is provided with a'fluid passageway 54extendin'g therethrough which communicates at its outer end with the chamber 55 within the cylinder 49 and at its inner end with a chamber 56 formed within the cap 52. The upper end of the chamber 56 communicates with a passageway 57 that extends upwardly through the cylindrical'extension 48' on the sleeve 47. A vacuum source is connected through the passageway 57, the chamber 56 and the passageway 54 to the chamber 55. The shaft 50 extends withinthe chamber 56 a substantial'distance so as to permit axial move ment of the cylinder 49 while still maintaining communication between the inner end of the passageway 54 and the chamber 56.

The means for producing limited radial movement of each cylinder 49 upon swinging movement ofthecorresponding article handling 'unit 15 includes the cam structure 61 (FIGURE 2) having the cam gr'oove'66. C0

operating with the cam groove 66'is a follower in the form of a roller 67 mounted on a vertical axis. This roller 67 is carried on the outer end ofa radially extending arm 68which is'mounted for sliding movement. The

arm 68; carries adjacent its outer end .anupsta'nding thereof. Inward axial movement of the cylinder 49 occurs when the roller 67 moves the arm 68 inwardly, due to engagement of the fork 69 with the forward end of a pinion 70 which is formed integral with the shaft 50. As previously indicated, it is. desirable to invert the article during rotation of the turret. The pinion 70 forms a part of this inverting mechanism. The pinion 70 is elongated and is disposed within the sleeve 47 for radial movement with the cylinder 49 with which it is integrally formed. As shown in FIGURE 2, a rack-bar 72 is mounted for vertical movement relative to the sleeve 47. This rack-bar 72 engages the pinion 70 and passes downwardly (FIGURE 1) through a depending cylinder 78 which is secured below the turret 14.

The lower end of the rack-bar 72 has operatively connected thereto a cam follower which is in the form of a roller 88 supported for rotation on a horizontal axis. This roller operates in a closed endless cam track 89 (FIGURE 1) which extends horizontally and helically around sleeve 90 of the standard 13.

It will be apparent that with this rack and pinion struc ture, when the turret 14 rotates, the roller 88 of each of the article handling units will travel in the continuous closed cam 89. The inclined portion thereof will produce a vertical movement of the rack-bar 72. This, in turn, will cause rotation of the pin '70, and consequently, of the shaft 50. Radial movement of the shaft 50 of each unit 15 will be permitted without interfering with the intermeshing relationship of rack-bar 72 and the pinion 70, due to the fact that such pinion is elongated.

The extension 48 of each unit 15, as disclosed in said patent, is rotatably carried in a collar 124 that moves with the turret 14. A cap 127 is secured on top of the colar 124 and has a chamber 128 formed therein with which the passageway 57 in extension 48 communicates. A seal 129 is provided around the rotatable extension 48. A vacuum line 147 is connected to the chamber 128 of each of the article handling units 15. This line is controlled by a vacuum supply valve 145 of a suitable rotatable type which, for example, may be of the specific type disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 831,195, filed August 3, 1959, now Patent 3,034,822, and the details of which are not important to this invention. Each valve 145 is suitably connected to a source of vacuum. The valves 145 are carried at angularly spaced intervals around the turret 14 and move therewith.

Each valve 145 is rotated to actuate it by means of a star wheel 155 disposed at the upper end thereof. The star wheels 155 of successive valves are rotated by means of a pair of trigger pins 171 depending from the stationary cam unit 16, as described in said patent. Thus, as the turret 14 rotates, the star wheels 155 of the successive valves 145 are engaged so that the valves 145 are successively actuated to connect the vacuum source to the chamber 55 of each article-handling unit 15.

Thus far, the mechanism described is substantally like that disclosed in said patent. However, the article support or former portion of each article handling unit 15 disclosed herein is of different structure and this is illustrated in detail in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4.

The former portion includes the supporting arm 91 which has a flange 92 on its inner end that is bolted by the bolts 94 to the flange 93 on the outer end of the cylinder 49. Thus, the arm 91 will rotate with the cylinder 49 when it rotates about its own axis and will participate in other movements of the cylinder. At its outer end, the arm member 91 carries the resizing and reforming member which is illustrated as being a former head or disc 95. This disc 95 may be removably attached to the arm 91 in flat contact therewith by means of the bolts 96. The former 95 is provided with a central vacuum passage 97 extending therethrough which communicates with a vacuum conduit 98 that extends through and along the arm and through the flange 92 into communication with the chamber 55 in the cylinder 49.

Formed in the exposed surface of the former and concentric with the vacuum passage 97 is an annular grove 100. The groove 100 is of V-cr-oss sectional form and provides inwardly converging forming surfaces for engaging the edge of an article to reform and resize it as indicated in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4. When the article 8 is positioned with its edge in the forming groove 100, and vacuum is applied through the passage 97, it will be apparent that the edge of the article will be positively pulled into the groove to properly resize and reshape such edge.

The pins 171 on the cam 16 are so arranged that the valve of each article handling unit is actuated to apply vacuum to the former 95 when the article 8 is deposited on it, as indicated at the right of FIGURE 1. The former 95 will thereafter not only serve as a vacuum type article holder but will serve as means for reforming and resizing the article since the article will be pulled onto the former with the edge of the article being pulled into the groove 100. The article at this time will be hot and deformable due to the fact that it has just been treated in the burn-01f or glazer 2. The vacuum is continuously applied to each former until the former reaches the position shown at the left of FIGURE 1 where the valve 145 is actuated to relieve the article of the vacuum and permit deposit of the article on the conveyor 9. By this time, the article 8 has been inverted by action of the machine 1, as described in said patent. The article usually will have cooled and set in its resize and reformed condition while it is still resting on the former and is pulled downwardly thereon by vacuum although the forming action might continue even after the article is inverted and before discharge onto the conveyor 10.

This invention incorporates the resizing and reforming means in a transfer machine so that the resizing and reforming takes place as the article is transferred from the glazer or burn-01f and while it is still hot. Thus, the transfer machine is utilized for an additional purpose.

It will be apparent from the above that this invention provides a method and apparatus for receiving a deformable glass article and for sizing and forming it to a predetermined accurate size and outline. The operation is generally designed to restore a predetermined outline and size to an article which has been subjected to a heating operation which might distort it.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed 15:

1. A method of forming and sizing a previously molded hollow article of glassware having an open mouth with an exposed integral annular edge which is at such a temperature that it is in deformable condition which comprises placing the article on a former which has an edgereceiving groove with opposed converging walls with the edge of the article positioned in said groove in contact with said walls to substantially close said mouth, and apply vacuum through said former into the interior of the article to pull the article axially toward the former so that its integral deformable edge is forced more firmly into the converging walls of said groove to thereby form and size it.

2. In a glassware article handling machine, an article handling unit for receiving and retaining a previously molded hollow article which, when received, is at such a temperature that it has a deformable integral edge at an open month, said article-handling unit comprising a forming member having an edge-receiving groove therein in which said edge is adapted to be disposed at which time the mouth will be substantially closed, said groove having opposed converging walls for contacting said edge, and means for applying vacuum through said forming member into the interior of the article after the edge of the article is positioned in said groove to pull the article toward the forming member to force the integral edge more firmly into contact with the converging walls of said groove to thereby form and size it.

3. The combination of claim 2 in which the groove in the forming member is of annular outline and of V-crosssectional form, said article handling unit including means for rotatably mounting the forming member, means for positioning the forming member with the groove opening upwardly so as to receive the edge of the article and support the article with its open mouth downwardly and for rotating the forming member to invert it and the article carried thereby, and means for moving the forming member to transfer the article from one position to another as the forming member is rotated.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Zimmerman 65-295 Arbogast 6582 Zeiler 65292 Schwab 65297 Haub 65296 Henry et al. 6543 Allen 65260 X DONALL H. SYLVESTER, Primary Examiner. CHARLES R. HODGES, Examiner. 

1. A METHOD OF FORMING AND SIZING A PREVIOUSLY MOLDED HOLLOW ARTICLE OF GLASSWARE HAVING AN OPEN MOUTH WITH AN EXPOSED INTEGRAL ANNULAR EDGE WHICH IS AT SUCH A TEMPERATURE THAT IT IS IN DEFORMABLE CONDITION WHICH COMPRISES PLACING THE ARTICLE ON A FORMER WHICH HAS AN EDGERECEIVING GROOVE WITH OPPOSED CONVERGING WALLS WITH THE EDGE OF THE ARTICLE POSITIONED IN SAID GROOVE IN CONTACT WITH SAID WALLS TO SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSE SAID MOUTH, AND APPLY VACUUM THROUGH SAID FORMER INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE ARTICLE TO PULL THE ARTICLE AXIALLY TOWARD THE FORMER SO THAT ITS INTEGRAL DEFORMABLE EDGE IS FORCED MORE FIRMLY INTO THE CONVERGING WALLS OF SAID GROOVE TO THEREBY FORM AND SIZE IT.
 2. IN A GLASSWARE ARTICLE HANDLING MACHINE, AN ARTICLE HANDLING UNIT FOR RECEIVING AND RETAINING A PREVIOUSLY MOLDED HOLLOW ARTICLE WHICH, WHEN RECEIVED, IS AT SUCH A TEMPERATURE THAT IT HAS A DEFORMABLE INTEGRAL EDGE AT AN OPEN MOUTH, SAID ARTICLE-HANDLING UNIT COMPRISING A FORMING MEMBER HAVING AN EDGE-RECEIVING GROOVE THEREIN IN WHICH SAID EDGE IS ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED AT WHICH TIME THE MOUTH WILL BE SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSED, SAID GROOVE HAVING OPPOSED CONVERGING WALLS FOR CONTACTING SAID EDGE, AND MEANS FOR APPLYING VACUUM THROUGH SID FORMING MEMBER INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE ARTICLE AFTER THE EDGE OF THE ARTICLE IS POSITIONED IN SAID GROOVE TO PULL THE ARTICLE TOWARD THE FORMING MEMBER TO FORCE THE INTEGRAL EDGE MORE FIRMLY INTO CONTACT WITH THE CONVERGING WALLS OF SAID GROOVE TO THEREBY FORM AND SIZE IT. 